Galaxy S6 release date, specs and rumors

Samsung’s last flagship, the Galaxy S5 left many with a split opinion on the handset, because Samsung didn’t manage to make significant design changes, leaving users with a dimpled plastic chassis that is not exactly impressive. After the Galaxy S5, Samsung realized their mistake and came out with the metal-frame sporting Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 as well as Galaxy Note Edge. The Galaxy Alpha was such a good release, in Samsung’s opinion, that the company decided to release a whole line, the Alpha line of smartphones, based on the handset. Now, rumors come pouring in about a new Samsung device, the Galaxy S6.

The Galaxy S6 should be the biggest smartphone launch coming up, aside from the Nexus 6 and Motorola Droid Turbo. Rumors say the the Galaxy S6 should hit markets sometime in March or April, 2015 and will probably sport the same price as the Galaxy S5 when it launched, around $900 off-contract. The March or April launch date for the Galaxy S6 would be a traditional take on things, since Samsung is known to prefer Spring dates for flagship launches.

The Galaxy S6 will probably keep the traditional Super AMOLED display, with a size between 5.1 and 5.3 inches diagonally. We would expect at least a 2K display on the Galaxy S6, but Samsung did mention that they would like to bring 4K displays to their flagships, although we would rather like a 4K display on the Galaxy Note 4 successor next year. The Galaxy S6 might also sport a curved or a flexible display, since those kinds of screen are becoming increasingly popular with the Galaxy Note Edge as the perfect example.

Android L is set for launch next week and by the time the Galaxy S6 gets out on the market, we find it likely that Samsung would choose a 64 bit configuration for the flagship and Android L as the operating system, but Tizen isn’t excluded from the picture, either. Although Tizen has little support at the moment, Samsung is planning to launch a mid-range Tizen powered smartphone this year and if that fares well and the OS gains some support from developers and a bigger app store, there is a possibility that we could see Tizen on the Galaxy S6.

If Samsung decided to go for a 64 bit configuration on the Galaxy S6, a Snapdragon 808 or 810 would be likely options for the CPU, but with Samsung’s new plans to build more chips, a possibility of an Exynos CPU exists. Nonetheless, if Samsung decides to power the Galaxy S6 with a Snapdragon 808, then there will surely be 2K screens, or if they choose the Snapdragon 810, a 4K screen is most likely. This generation of 64 bit Snapdragon CPUs would also come with an Adreno 430 GPU which would offer excellent graphics for the Galaxy S6.

When it comes to design, we can assume that Samsung will use the elements from its new Galaxy Alpha smartphone, which would bring us a Galaxy S6 with a metal frame, polycarbonate back cover and a thin body altogether. We might actually see a Galaxy S6 with a complete metal build similar to that of the HTC One M8 as well, since Samsung has hinted at the fact that they do have such a flagship in mind.

The Galaxy S6 camera will most likely be a 20 MP rear shooter and include optical image stabilization. We expect to see either an 8 MP or 13 MP front shooter on the Galaxy S6, since the selfie-cam fad has become pretty widespread during the past months and Samsung will surely want to get in on the trend, too. We’ll also see the fingerprint sensor Samsung has included on the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Alpha and Note 4. Waterproofing, dust-proofing and a microSD card slot are for sure features we’ll see on the Galaxy S6. Fast charging and wireless charging would be very desirable features, and a UV light sensor and multidirectional microphones as seen on the Galaxy Note 4 would also be welcome additions to the Galaxy S6.

Although these are just rumors right now, most of the features we listed above are actually pretty decent specs for an upcoming flagship that would make it future-proof as well as desirable. Samsung has seen plummeting sales and the company should focus on redesigning the Galaxy line, and the Galaxy S6 in order to cater to those who have iterated that the Galaxy line has become a tad bit boring and needs to be refreshed. In any case, we are sure to see some leaked images of a prototype soon and we’ll keep you up to date on the news about Samsung’s new Galaxy S6.

About Egon Kilin

My life-long dream has been to test out every gadget on the market! Considering the fact that I've rapidly destroyed almost every gadget I've had so far, I'm not inclined to owning something, so my ideal outcome would be to have a different gadget each month.
I'm really into smartphones, wearables and tablets and I love Playstation and Xbox, I'm sure I'll beat you at your own game (after a month of training... or two)